Butterflies of Zihuatanejo

SUPERFAMILY PAPILIONOIDEA

-Glassy-winged Skipper (Xenophanes tryxus)

The genus Xenophanes is instantly recognizable, with a pale brown ground colour heavily speckled with greyish; and large hyaline windows in the fore and hind wings. . The adults are normally encountered singly or in two's and three's. They bask on bushes and low herbage with wings fully outspread but rarely spend more than a few seconds in one place.

Diet

The larval food plants of Xenophanes tryxus are members of the mallow family (Malvaceae).
Adults visit flowers for nectar, and males may also obtain minerals from damp soil, rocks and sand.

Range

Xenophanes tryxus is a widespread Neotropical skipper ranging from Mexico through Central America and across much of South America as far south as Argentina.
It occurs in Mexico, including the Pacific coastal region, and is present in Guerrero and the Zihua region.

Habitat

It inhabits open tropical and subtropical environments, including pastures, farmland, forest edges, clearings, river valleys, roadsides and secondary vegetation.
In the Zihua region, suitable habitat includes tropical dry forest edges, open woodland, agricultural areas, roadside vegetation and disturbed lowland habitats.
Adults generally fly close to the ground and frequently perch on bushes and low herbaceous vegetation with their wings spread.

Description

A small to medium-sized skipper with a wingspan of approximately 29–33 mm.
The wings are pale brown to grey-brown, heavily mottled with darker and greyish markings.
Large translucent or glass-like patches occupy the central portions of both the forewings and hindwings, producing the characteristic appearance of the Glassy-winged Skipper.
The forewing has an irregular outer margin, while the hindwing is slightly scalloped.